Fall is when eating gets good. Despite the overly commercial return of everything pumpkin spice, from lattes to beer, the local farmers’ markets are bursting with delicious produce perfect for making cosy comfort food.
“It’s the best time of year to be a chef,” says Ben Baird of Pelican Seafood Market. He would know, as the chef behind one of Ottawa’s most popular seafood spots, recently featured on the hit television series Drive-Ins, Diners, and Dives.
As we transition from summer salads and barbecues to heartier meals, most of us will no doubt be taking advantage of the availability of fresh produce, but for many youth across Ottawa, what’s on their plate is the furthest thing from their mind.
Unfortunately, many youth are at high risk of interacting with the criminal justice system, often for no fault of their own. For Youturn Youth Support Services, their mission is to provide the services needed to keep youth away from drugs, gangs, and the courts so that they can have a successful future.
The donation-funded Youturn Youth provides legal services, counselling, youth welfare services, and human trafficking prevention, which are all costly. That’s where Harvest Ottawa comes in.
On September 13th, some of Ottawa’s best chefs will gather to host the annual Harvest: A Feast of Fall cocktail event at Working Title Kitchen/All Saint Event Space in Sandy Hill. All money raised goes directly to funding programs at Youturn Youth.
The event will not only serve up some truly delicious dishes, but it also supports a good cause. Among the attendees is Chef Baird of Pelican Seafood Market, who will be serving up fresh PEI oysters. Also, cooking will be Order of Ottawa recipient and chef extraordinaire Joe Thottungal of Coconut Lagoon and Thali, plus an additional 12 incredible chefs.
This year’s event also features a Butcher’s Ball, where chefs team up with local butchers who source from local farms — all the meat will truly be farm-to-table. In addition to local food, the chefs all hail from the national capital, but the cuisine will be as multicultural as our city. The featured chefs hail from restaurants at top local hotels to restaurants that focus on fine dining with Canadian ingredients to Middle Eastern cuisine.
Not only will the food be amazing, but some great local brewing and distilling companies will be on hand to provide excellent drinks. Kichesippi Beer Co. and Nickel Brook Brewing Co. will provide tasty pints; Saunders Farm will be there with their hard ciders, while Dunrobin Distilleries will feature their award-winning whiskeys and gin.
Tickets to Harvest: A Feast of Fall are $95 and include valet parking. Get ready to experience why fall is a chef’s favourite time of year. Imagine yourself at All Saints Event Space with a delicious pint or craft cocktail in hand, nibbling some of Ottawa’s best cuisine from some of its most talented philanthropic chefs and restaurants.
Every ticket contributes towards helping Ottawa’s most at-risk youth stay on the right path and turn their lives around. Helping local kids go in the right direction is always a smart move, but it doesn’t usually include craft cocktails and a Fall Harvest Feast!
To purchase your tickets for the Harvest: A Feast of Fall on Wednesday, September 13th, from 6 p.m. – 10 p.m., click here.
For more information on Harvest Ottawa, visit their website, harvestottawa.ca. To learn more about YouTurn Youth and its mission, click here.
